Can opener



Jan. 4,-1927. 1,613,499 c .o. APPLEQUIST CAN OPENER Filed July 1, 1924 INVENTOR Patented Jan. 4, 1927.

warren srA'rss CHARLES O. APPLEQUIST, OF AMBRIDGE, PENNSYLVANIA.

CAN OPENER.

Application filed July 1,

The present invention relates to can openers, and more particularly to can openers of the type having a handle with a toothed portion at one end for engagement with the can bodyand a knife carried by a drag link pivoted to the toothed end of the handle.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved can opener of this general type which is adapted to open either a round can or a square can.

Another object of the invention is to provide a can opener of such construction that the knife will out the top of the can close to the body thereof without danger of the blade cutting through the can body.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a can opener, the blade of which can be readily inserted in the correct initial position in a can top.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a top plan view of the can opener showing the same in operative relation to a round can,

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 showing the manner of initially applying the can opener to the can,

Figure 3 is a top plan view showing the can opener in operative relation to a square can,

Figure 4 is a side elevation, partly in section, of the can opener, and

Figures 5 and 6 are, respectively, a plan view and a section of the drag link.

The can opener comprises a handle 2 in the form of fiat strip of metal having. at one end thereof, an arcuate flange 3 provided with radial teeth 4. Pivotally connected to the toothed end portion of the handle, by means of a rivet 5, is a drag link 6. The pivotal axis of the drag link is coincident with the center of curvature of the arcuate flange 3. The rivet 5 passes through an opening 7 in one end of the link and in its other end the link has a screw-threaded opening 8 receiving the screw-threaded por tion 9 of a knob 10. This knob has a journal portion 11 adjacent the threaded portion and of slightly greater diameter than the latter. Journaled upon this journal portion, between the drag link 6 and an integral 1924. Serial No. 723,527.

collar 12 on the knob, is a blade holder 13. This blade holder carries a downwardly eX- tending blade 14 which is in a plane containing the pivotal axis of the blade holder. The blade holder is normally freely rotatable upon the journal portion 11. If desired, however, a split spring washer 15 may be interposed between the collar 12 and the blade holder 13, whereby the blade holder may be held in any desired relation to the drag link upon tightening the knob 10.

The manner of applying the can opener to a can is shown in Figure 2. It will be seen that the drag link extends at substantially right angles to the longitudinal axis of the blade holder, thereby positioning the toothed portion a substantial distance from the body of the can. This enables the user to position the blade 14 in the correct position for insertion into the can top, which can be done by simply striking the knob 10 a blow With the hand. The handle 2 is then moved to bring the teeth 4 into engagement with the can body and the cutter drawn around the periphery of the can top in the manner illustrated in Figure 1, thereby effecting a cut 16 close to the body of the can. As the blade efi'ects the cut 16, the cutting edge thereof is maintained in line with the pivotal axes of the blade holder and drag link so that there is no tendency for the blade to be drawn through the can body in traversing it about the periphery of the can top. This form of can opener is particularly adapted for cutting the tops of square cans since the pro vision of the drag link freely rotatable with respect to the handle and the blade holder freely rotatable with respect to the drag link enables the blade to be drawn around the corners of the square can, as illustrated in Figure8.

lVhile I have shown and described a preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that changes may be made in the details of construction without departing from the spirit of the invention or scope of the appended claim.

I claim:

A can opener, comprising a handle hav ing an arcuate extremity provided with radial teeth for engagement with a can body whereby said can opener is adapted for either right-handed 01' left-handel opei'aset a substantial distance from the pivotal tion, a drag link pivoted at one end to said axis of the blade holder, substantially as detoothed extremity, a blade holder pivoted to scribed. the other end of said drag link, and a blade In testimony whereof I have hereunto set rigid with sai'd'blade'; holdenand'haying its my -handi cuttingedge extending" at substantially i'ight angles to the plane of said drag link andofP- CHARLES O. APPLEQUIST. 

